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NiTnn STATES PATENT Trice.

THOMAS J. MCTIGI-IE, OF BROOKLYNMNEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO CHARLES H. HOYT,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF INCINERATING INCANDESCENT GAS-MANTLES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,121, dated May 17,1898.

Application led June l1, 1897. Serial No. 640,305. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MGTIGHE, a citizen of the United Statesanda resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofIncinerating Incandescent Gas-Mantl'es and in Apparatus Therefor, ofwhich 'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to atmospheric gasburners of that class which isespecially adapted for use in incinerating the mantles 0r hoods ofincandescent gas-lights and to the method of incinerating the same. Asiswell known, such mantles are generally made by saturating a piece ofknitted tube in a solution of salts suitable for incandescent purposes,then constricting its top, suspending it by the top, and then burningaway the material of the original tube, leaving the refractory material,which is generally composed of earthy oxids which become highlyincandescent when heated. In the manufacture of these mantles theprepared tube is rst fired at the top, allowed to burn or smolder slowlydownward till the most of the fiber is consumed, and then an atmosphericburner is introduced within the mantle and the temperature is raised byan air-blast and maintained till the mantle has shrunk to its limit.Great care has to be exercised in the operation, which is a delicateone, so as to keep the mantle in as good a shape as possible; but withthe best of care it is difficult to produce a number of mantles whichshall be uniform in shape and candlepower, and irregular spots are left,which, While not evident to the eye, develop into points of low powerfor lighting or prove to be weaker than the remainder. My invention aimsat automatically shaping all mantles as much as possible alike andincinerating to exactly the same extent all portions of each mantle.

To these and other ends my invention consists, primarily, inincinerating the mantles by a rotating flame; further, in an incineratingburner so arranged that a rotary motion can be maintained as betweenthe burner-tip and its flame and the surrounding mantle; further, in anincinerating-burner provided with a rotating tip controlling the flame;further, in an incinerating-burner capable of rotation and having meansfor automatically rotating when burning; further, in a gas-burnersupplied with air under pressure, a rotary burnertip provided with meansof rotation by the passage therethrough of the air to be used-incombustion, and, iinally, in the construction and combination of parts,all substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this speciiication the ligure is avertical section lof a simple and effective form of my incineratingdevice.

The invention is capable of a considerable variety of forms; but I willconfine my description to a simple form, as other forms andmodifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in theart.

vA is a base having the cavity b and jetnozzle c, with the air and gasinlet nozzles d and e, respectively, as shown. On this base I fix a tubef, which I prefer to enlarge at its upper end to form the chamber g,which is closed by the disk h, whose periphery is constructed withspiral or inclined grooves or openings for the passage of the air andgas rising from below, and t0 assist in guiding the mixture to thegrooves I prefer to make the disk h with a guide-cone on its bottom, asshown. From the disk h rises a pin 1l, which serves as a support for therotating portion of the burner. The tube 7c is expanded at its lower endto iit easily down over the chamber g, and has iirmly fixed in itsinterior a disk or wheel Z, having the upwardly-extending bearing m forthe pin 1I. The disk or wheel Z has its periphery formed with grooves oropenings for the passage of the gas and air; but the direction of theseis opposite to the direction of those in the stationary disk h. It willbe seen that the disk h and the wheel Z form substantially a turbine,and on admitting air under suflicientpressure from below through thedisk h the wheel Z will revolve at a speed dependent upon the amount ofair sent through, and with it will revolve the tube 7c and its upper capn and wire-gauze top o.

Air and gas having been admitted to the required extent the top beginsspinning, after IOO which the mixture issues from the gauze o and may beignited. It is to be observed that the action of the wheel and diskcauses a thorough mixture of the air and gas, producing an almostcolorless and intensely hot iiame to rise from the burner, and as theburner determines the form of the iiame the iiame rotates with theburner. Upon now arranging a mantle, as shown by the dotted lines, so asto have it suspended above the apparatus the hot flame whirling aroundinside reaches all parts of the mantle and insures completeincineration, and at the same time the pressure can be so regulated thatthe iame will exert a gentle outward pressure on themantle-body,smoothing out all wrinkles and other irregularities of form,leaving it quite symmetrical and having all parts of its surfaceproperly tempered for use. The operation is completed in a very fewmoments and requires little or no attention once the mantle is properlysuspended.

vThe apparatus can also be used in the combustion of the fiber of themantle before the incineration proper, and in that case it is desirableto admit a greater proportion of air, so as rapidly to cause the burningout of the fiber. A few seconds suffice where ordinarily as many minutesare needed.

The particular size or location of the rotating wheel is not of theessence of my invention, as both may vary between wide limits. Obviouslywhere it is not advisable to have the rotation automatic and the deviceselfcontained other means of rotation can be adopted without departingfrom the spirit of my invention so far as relates to a whirling iiamefor the mantle. I may also state that by making the lrotating parts verylight, so as to be adapted to low pressures, the device may be used forthe production of light with incandescent gas-mantles.

The invention can also be applied to other uses than those mentioned,such as burners for various heating apparatus. l.

I claim as my inventionl. The method of incinerating the mantles ofincandescent gas-burners, consisting in suspending or supporting themantle and sub- .jeoting it to the heat ofL an internal flame while thelatter is caused to rotate about the axis of the mantle.

2. An apparatus for incinerating the mantles of incandescentgas-burners, consisting of a support for the mantle, and means forsubjecting the mantle to the heat of an internal rotating iiame.

A gas-burner having a vertical iiameforming tip adapted to rotate aroundits own center, in combination with a stationary support and means forrotating the tip, whereby in operation the iiame is caused to rotate onits ownV center.

4. A blast gas-burner consisting of a vertical flame-forming tip adaptedfor rotation around its own center, a base provided with inlet-ports forair under pressure and gas, and a rotating device interposed between thebase and tip and adapted to cause the rotation of the latter around itsown center by the movement of air and gas through the apparatus.

5. An apparatus for incinerating incandescent gas-mantles, consisting ofa stationary support for the mantle, and an atmospheric burner havingits tip adapted to rotate and produce axial rotation of the iiame whenignited within the mantle.

Signed at Brooklymin the county of Kings and State of New York, this 8thday of June, A. D. 1897.

THOMAS J. MCTIGI-IE.

Witnesses:

THos. A. CoNNoLLY, WM. G. MoRRIsEY.

